UXHK 2018
9 & 10 March 2018
User Experience Hong Kong (UXHK) is a learning event dedicated to bringing all product and service design disciplines together, from research, marketing, design, technology and the business to name a few, who are interested and passionate about designing great experiences for people and business for a better world for all.

Speakers
Get inspired by experienced international speakers and local professionals.
SPEAKER | COMPANY |
Alberta Soranzo | Lloyds Banking Group |
Matthew Oliphant | Studio VO |
Susan Wolfe | Susan Wolfe |
Chris Marmo | PaperGiant |
Workshops
Choose workshops to brush up your UX skills.
Get Connected
Network with the invited speakers and with the local Asian UX community.
Stay Updated
Follow our online channels to stay in the loop.
Program
- Day 1 – Presentations & Conversations
- Day 2 – Half day workshops

Day 1 – Presentations & Conversations
Friday 15 February 2019
(1pm – 8pm)
1:00pm | REGISTRATION OPENS AT RECEPTION |
2:00pm | Welcome & Presentations More than words – how language shapes environments we create ALBERTA SORANSO The words we use are an expression of how we think and contribute to shaping the relationships we form and the culture around us. When we join an organization and adopt its language patterns, without questioning whether they are reflective of the values we want to promote, we can become agents of oppression rather than empowerment. This session will look at how we can affect our professional environment through intentional communication design, and how that, in turn, drives performance and fosters meaning in the work we do. Make with Love MATHEW OLIPHANT There’s a balance to be had between making a better living for yourself and making a better life for others. No single answer is out there, but there is a good, core set of questions that can help identify projects which have the capability of increasing dignity and reducing suffering for people. This talk will attempt to persuade you that it’s worth looking at the work you do through the lens of love. Make me think SUSAN WOLFE When Steve Krug’s book “Don’t Make Me Think” was first released in 2000, Susan Wolfe’s immediate reaction was – that’s the book I wish I had written. The premise and hence book title, is that, as designers, our goal is to let people focus on achieving their goals, not using tools. In other words, people shouldn’t have to think about how their tools work – they should just be able to get their tasks done. The book’s common sense approach and simple UI design principles were exactly what Susan had been doing and preaching to her clients. Today she spends most of her time teaching others how to practice UX which is much broader than just UI. People are hoping for a simple set of steps or a formula, but the holistic nature of UX means that it doesn’t work that way. As UX designers, we need to think! In this talk, Susan will share what her students are coming to internalize as the new maxims, or rules to live by. |
Ethics of Design CHRIS MARMO Many designers enter the industry for altruistic reasons – they want to do good work, and make a difference. Beyond choosing an industry or organisation that aligns with our personal values, what does it mean to be an ethical designer? Chris will aim to answer the questions: – What does it mean to do ethical work? – What do we need to be aware of so that we can better talk on behalf of others? – What compromises are we willing to make, and why? | |
6:00pm | Drinks, fun, networking |
8:00pm | End of Day 1 |
Day 2 – Half day workshops
Saturday 16 February 2019
9am – 6pm (Lunch 1 – 2:30pm)
MORNING (AM) WORKSHOPS | WORKSHOP 1: Designing happy design teams Information architecture – Just the essentials ALBERTA SORANZO An effective design team requires a multitude of diverse skills, and it’s impossible for any one individual to possess them all. So, how do you go about putting together a team that’s balanced, powerful and can work effectively with other teams? What is the right mixture of junior and senior practitioners? What skills, soft and hard, do you need to design and deliver outstanding products and services that support meaningful outcomes? In this workshop, we’ll take a look at how to assess the skills of our colleagues (as well as our own) to best shape, inspire and lead a design team that works together (and stays together). A team where more experienced practitioners thrive and more junior ones are supported, mentored and enabled to grow, and where complementarity and teamwork are the foundations of success. You will learn: A different point of view on design leadership, and ready to build, motivate, grow and keep design teams happy • A different point of view on design leadership, and ready to build, motivate, grow and keep design teams happy • Understanding of the traits of an effective design team • Tips and techniques on how to hire, motivate and keep design teams happy • Methods and tools (and a bit of science) to assess your team’s skill set, create development plans and support performance. |
WORKSHOP 2: Venture Building to Breakdown Organisational Silos Designing user interfaces using psychological principles MATTHWEE OLIPHANT Ever been handed a project or had someone come to you with an idea that immediately made you think – “This is probably a waste of time.” What if, instead of taking on the project, you first spent a short period of time investigating the merit of the idea? This workshop is a mix of illustrative stories about projects that were stopped, much to the relief to the businesses, as well as practical advice for helping you find out if that idea is any good. What if spending $20,000 to make that early decision meant avoiding spending millions to build something no one would want enough to justify the money, time, and effort? After attending this workshop you will be familiar with how to promote this approach internally to your company and externally to clients, how to structure a good Discovery project, and how deliver results that build confidence in making a go or no-go decision. You will learn to: • Understand how to determine if a stand-alone Discovery project makes sense • Persuade others – your project team, your company, your clients – about the merits of a stand-alone Discovery project • Structure and how to carry out a stand-alone Discovery project • Deliver the good news and the bad news. | |
LUNCH (1:00PM – 2:30PM) | |
AFTERNOON (PM) WORKSHOPS | WORKSHOP 3: Defining Meaningful Requirements Managing UX SUSAN WOLFE Design is being increasingly applied to “wicked problems” – problems that, because of numerous and complex interdependencies, are difficult (if not impossible) to solve (think homelessness, obesity, etc.). While helpful, applying “standard” human-centered design strategies to address such problems tend to fall far short of the mark. Why is this? What is it about wicked problems that make human-centered design inadequate in and of itself? As designers, we’re well positioned to make a meaningful difference in the world, and we want to do it well. This workshop starts by exploring common characteristics of these types of problems and the implications for projects to support them. You will learn: • To explore how conventional approaches to human-centered design need to be questioned, altered and extended to be most impactful for wicked problems • To participate in questioning our tried and true methods and will experience examples of what such alterations and extensions mean. • To get a sense of some important considerations for how to be more effective when designing for social impact. |
WORKSHOP 4: Purpose Driven Timelines CHRIS MARMO Design Research uses ethnography to help designers study the ways we make sense of ourselves, each other and the ways in which we live, work and play. It helps designers understand the why and how of human behaviour, and gives us the tools to communicate that understanding to others. This workshop will introduce you to ethnographic research methods, the principles that guide an ethnographic approach and will show you practical ways of applying these methods on your projects. You will learn: • The basics of ethnography and how it is used • Research methods and their connection to design • How to apply research methods on a design project • How to use ethnographic data to tell stories within your organisation and make a case for change. |
Speakers
Alberta Soranzo
Twitter: @albertatrebla
An incorrigible nomad, Alberta was born and raised in Italy, has lived in California and now works in London, as Director of End-to-End Service Design at Lloyds Banking Group. Leading a team of systems thinkers and service designers, she’s looking at shaping the future of financial services by transforming the organization from within. Alberta sketchnotes the meetings she attends (and there are many), is a resolute ice hockey player and cares deeply about the words we use and the very small things that, she says, “matter a lot”. You can find her online on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Chris Marmo
Twitter: @kurisu
Chris is the co-founder and Research Director of PaperGiant, a strategic design consultancy based in Melbourne, Australia. He is a design researcher with over a decade of experience managing teams and conducting projects across a range of industries and contexts, in Australia and throughout Asia.
Matthew Oliphant
Twitter: @matto
Matthew has been getting people from WTF to FTW since 1999. He has led the design and development efforts for dozens of software products, redesigned large-scale corporate design and development processes, led research efforts to understand the needs of organ transplant recipients and helped shut down three businesses, for which the owners thanked him heartily.
Susan Wolfe
Twitter: @susanjwolfe
As a UX practitioner and educator for 30+ years, Susan has practiced UX design, established and run consultancies, mentored project teams and organizations around the globe, introduced UX design practices and cultures into organizations, and has trained and launched the careers of the next generation of practitioners. Susan spent the first part of her career in the Silicon Valley as an in-house UX professional at IBM, NASA, and Tandem Computers. Since 1995, she has built and led UX consultancies in Australia (The Hiser Group and Optimal Experience). She now splits her time between the San Francisco and Sydney, working with educational organizations (General Assembly), and public and private-sector clients and organizations (through her consultancy “Optimal Experience Strategy”, focused on seeking to make a positive difference in the world) where she mentors, consults, and delivers presentations, courses, and workshops.
Where
Venue: SCAD Hong Kong
292 Tai Po Rd,
Sham Shui Po,
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Subway
MTR Sham Shui Po Station,
Exit D2 (10 min. walk)